Eric Ferring Shares New Single ‘No Choice But Love’ for National Coming Out Day
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In honor of National Coming Out Day, American tenor Eric Ferring released a new single, Ben Moore’s No Choice But Love, the title track of his forthcoming double album with pianist Madeline Slettedahl on Lexicon Classics out November 18, 2022.
No Choice but Love: Songs of the LGBTQ+ Community seeks to highlight diverse LGBTQIA+ voices and perspectives, through revelatory performances of important songs by some of today’s leading composers.
Ferring commissioned the title track, No Choice but Love, from composer Ben Moore in 2021.
He sent Moore a poem by a fellow tenor and close friend, Jamaican-American Terrence Chin-Loy.
Moore describes, “Like every other gay person I’ve ever met, I was given negative messages when I was young. It’s a process to fully accept yourself and see that what we are is natural. Nor is it a choice – it’s based in love.’”
Moore worked to give the song “a cosmic feel” and says, “the speaker reflects on the people who came before and made our current freedoms possible. ‘We have no choice but love’ – Terrence celebrates that this hugely positive truth is how the world is meant to be.’”
The opening text of the commission inspired the album artwork, “In the beginning, there was love. And by its touch the universe unfolded into countless stars.”
The album also includes the world premiere recording of Ben Moore’s Love Remained in a new version for tenor; Manuel de Falla’s Preludios and Oración de las madres que tienen a sus hijos en brazos; Jake Heggie’s Friendly Persuasions; Poulenc’s Tel jour, telle nuit; Ethel Smyth’s On the Road; Jennifer Higdon’s Lilacs; the world premiere recordings of Willie Alexander III’s Sure On This Shining Night and Mari Esabel Valverde’s To digte af Tove Ditlevsen; Benjamin Britten’s Canticle I; and Ricky Ian Gordon’s Prayer and Joy. Ferring performs a recital of these works at his alma mater, Drake University, as part of their acclaimed Jordan Concert Series on October 14, 2022.
Ferring expresses, “As members of that community, Madeline and I wanted to pay homage to the beautiful, difficult history of the LGBT+ community within the classical music world by featuring the many talented living and passed LGBT+ composers…We believe that music is a means of expression, an alternative lens through which to interpret reality, and a healing force. We know that we must use our voices to be advocates for those whose voices are ignored or can’t be heard. We as artists must utilize our gifts to be catalysts for change, empowering our networks, and inspiring them to do what they never thought possible.”
American tenor Ferring is known internationally for his “fine, gleaming tenor” (New York Classical Review) as well as for being “powerful and direct… while conveying a range of conflicting emotions with distinction and subtlety” (BachTrack). His expertise ranges from early bel canto repertoire and the music of Handel and Mozart to the origination of contemporary operatic roles.
Ferring made his anticipated Metropolitan Opera debut during the 2021-2022 season singing Pong in Turandot, followed by Tamino in The Magic Flute, Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor, a Royal Herald in Don Carlos, and covering Grimoaldo in Rodelinda. He made his debut at Santa Fe Opera, singing Fenton in Sir David McVicar’s new production of Falstaff, as well as his Spoleto Festival (USA) debut in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Future seasons include return to Opéra de Rouen and debuts with the Opéra de Paris as Lurcanio in Ariodante and the Opéra national du Rhin as Tamino. Ferring will release a new album, We have tomorrow, with French string quartet Quatuor Agate and pianist Madeline Slettedahl in late 2023.
Ferring’s numerous awards include top prizes at many competitions including the George London Foundation for Singers, Glyndebourne Opera Cup, Gerda Lissner Foundation International Voice Competition, American Opera Society of Chicago, Dorothy Lincoln-Smith Classical Voice Competition through the National Society of Arts and Letters, the Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, as well as grants and awards from the Richard Tucker Foundation, Sullivan Foundation, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
He is a native of Dubuque, Iowa and graduated from Drake University with his Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and The Boston Conservatory with his Master of Music in Opera Performance. Ferring is a graduate of the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Ryan Opera Center and the Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program.
